In Pinay's Tummy: PARISIAN CAFÉ ALONG THE CHAMPS ELYSÉES

Monday, August 6, 2012

PARISIAN CAFÉ ALONG THE CHAMPS ELYSÉES

As they say, for glory and grandeur, the Champs-Elysées in Paris is the most famous avenue in the world.

When before, this was the meeting place for politicians and intellectuals, the Champs-Elysées has now given way to a generally commercial atmosphere, with huge name brands lining up the avenue, including Mc Donalds, car companies and even the famous Lido cabaret show.

It is also lined with the Parisian cafés, which is possibly one of the most famous image of the City of Lights.

http://gofrance.about.com/od/parisdining/ig/Paris-Cafe-Picture-Gallery/Cafe-on-the-Champs-Elys-es.htm

Paris cafes are possibly the most well-known image of the City of Light. The Paris Cafe is more than a place to sip coffee. It is an institution in Paris, it is a magnet for tourists, it is a cultural phenomenon. No trip to Paris is complete without a relaxing, long sit with some fascinating people-watching at a Paris cafe.

Here is what I found about Parisian Cafés in Wikipedia:

Parisian cafés serve as a center of social and culinary life in Paris. They have been around for centuries in one form or another, the oldest one still in operation is "Café Procope" at 13 Rue Ancienne Comédie, since 1686.

Paris cafés are the meeting place, the neighborhood hub, the conversation matrix, the rendez-vous spot, the networking source, a place to relax or to refuel - the social and political pulse of the city.

The café business sometimes doubles as a “bureau de tabac”, a tobacco shop that sells a wide variety of merchandise, including metro tickets and prepaid phone cards.

Typical Paris cafés are not “coffee shops”. They generally come with a complete kitchen offering a restaurant menu with meals for any time of the day, a full bar and even a wine selection.

Paris cafés crystallize the quintessential Parisian way of sitting undisturbed for a couple of hours, delightfully watching the world go by.

These are among the cafés.

We finally chose one of the cafés just to try it out.

Interestingly, the one we chose is Bistro Romain, which is described as the ever popular Italian-ish bistro-restaurant chain ( and not the Parisian one!).

The word Bistro from Wikipedia means this:

A bistro (French: [ˈbiːstrəʊ]), sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical.

We chose it because there was space and the pavement terrace umbrellas looked airy.

Just want to share their menu.

This is what we ate for dinner (It is still so bright even at 7 p.m. because sunset is at 9:30 p.m.). You will notice it is not just a coffee shop but a restaurant as well.